In this third and final installment of our 2024 Owner Series, LODGING speaks with Harry (Himesh) Patel, director of Solvue Hospitality Group, regarding his approach to optimizing the guest experience. Among several best practices, the Choice Hotels franchisee discusses the importance of relatively frequent property renovations that exceed PIP requirements.
Those who are enthusiastic about delivering great customer service can find rewarding careers in many business sectors, including the fast-food industry, where Harry (Himesh) Patel worked for 10 years back in the 1990s and 2000s as a Subway franchisee. Eventually, he discovered that the hotel business delivered equity while also fulfilling his passion for customer service, the importance of which was stressed by Patel’s mentor, Khandu Patel. Along with helping to fund Harry’s first hotel in 2011, the pharmacist-turned-hotel developer gave him two major tips: “When I took over my first hotel, Khandu’s first advice was to make sure your property is ready to be inspected every day,” he said. “And the second thing was to prioritize customer service, which is critical in any kind of business you run in your life.” The two best practices are related because a hotel that is kept inspection-ready is in a great condition to please guests, which is the goal of customer service.
Today, as director of Commerce, Georgia-based Solvue Hospitality Group, Patel keeps his mentor’s advice in mind and is keenly focused on ensuring his company’s hotels are fully modernized. One of his early projects was a top-to-bottom renovation and repositioning of an Americas Best Value Inn (ABVI) in Georgia that his company bought in 2015. The result was a Quality Inn, a Choice Hotels brand whose representatives “have always been very supportive with their knowledge and advice,” said Patel. He subsequently added two more Quality Inns in Georgia to his portfolio, acquiring and renovating one in 2022 and converting the other from a Red Roof Inn in 2023. Choice Hotels has also provided incentives in bringing these properties up to brand standards, adding to the value of the hotel.
Exceeding PIP Requirements
After the initial renovation, Patel fully upgrades his properties every four to five years, including the installation of new beds and FF&E, whereas most hoteliers renovate approximately every seven years, he noted. “My mentor taught me that people like to see a new and modern product, as well as something different.”
Patel also goes the extra mile on each renovation, often exceeding brand expectations for PIPs. “Every single renovation I have done with Quality Inn went beyond the brand standards,” Patel said. “And Choice’s franchise team members always listen and provide honest feedback when I have suggestions on improving within the brand standards. As long as I’m not asking something that is completely inconsistent with the Choice brand, they have always worked with me on the kinds of modifications that I like with the furniture, exterior colors, etc.”
Relatively frequent renovations and exceeding PIP requirements call for added investment, but Patel believes that “you have to spend money to make money,” and his financial results with the Quality Inn brand support that adage.
Differentiating Details
Making a favorable impression on guests with property upgrades need not involve large-scale changes. Travelers notice and appreciate subtle features that enhance convenience. For example, “guests like to read books at night, so on top of the headboard, I have an LED strip installed,” Patel noted. In addition, his guestrooms are designed so that there are no exposed wires around the phone or TV—for both aesthetic and safety reasons—and bathroom lights have occupancy sensors. Many of these features and details are not found in the competitive set for his hotels, and he often gets the ideas from properties in higher chain scales, ultimately making his hotels standouts for guests.
Guest Satisfaction
Along with property modernization, Patel goes the extra mile on guest service. As a Subway franchisee, he implemented a leaderboard to share customer reviews for all employees, tracked the number of customer refunds and the cost of each, discussed operational improvements with the team as needed, and made sure high-performing team members were recognized to boost morale. He brought those same customer-centric practices to hospitality. “My mentor, Khandu Patel, said to ensure that every guest comment or feedback is addressed. We hate to lose even one customer, so we strive to meet and exceed guests’ expectations,” he said. While acknowledging that “you cannot make every customer 100 percent happy,” Patel urged, “There is always a way to make the customer believe that you are willing to do whatever it takes to make their stay better.” Patel and his onsite teams convey that willingness, and so do the fully modernized hotels that welcome their guests.
